The answer...is by this hand.

[catskilt]

This song, Te, is just...beautiful. Everything about it. The melody, the emotion, the singing...I hadn't heard of Moriyama Ryoko before this but I am now gawking with admiration at her because her voice is stunning and her expressions of emotion even more so. Just watch her playing the guitar and singing Nada Sou Sou; it's completely breathtaking.

Also, for Te, I am fascinated by how she sings: kotae wa, ha, ha, ha~ kono te de

でも　いつか　探す　鍵で　開くことができる
きっと　誰もが　愛のために　涙拭える

答えは・・・この手で
ここから・・・この手で
答えは・・・この手で
・・・この手で

Ugh. I don't even know how to begin describing how moved I am by her songs.

And yes, I have been rewatching Nino's Haikei Chichiue-sama lately. I've decided that it's really the heartwarming, slice-of-life jdramas that I like best, even though the crack dramas are fun.

Yesterday, htenywg and I finally visited Kampong Lorong Buangkok (as mentioned here; the last remaining village in Singapore) and it was a very (hot and) pleasant experience :D


A tiny village with the city built all around it.




The houses were all very colourful and surprisingly clean. It was very pretty!


A Chinese woman was singing old Chinese songs in her living room karaoke; I think half the village could hear it. When we walked past her open door, Gwen noticed that she was hosting her neighbour's kids; two of them were Malay. Racial harmony, anyone?


Both of us were unreasonably afraid that this dog would leap at us if we walked past him, so we didn't. But as Gwen remarked, the flies buzzing around him seemed to be bothering him more than we were. He would lie there, eyes closed, and a fly would land on his ear and the ear would twack it away. Flick flick. It was entertaining watching him :D


A little Malay boy ran out of his house and knelt by the pathway picking at something in the grass. I'd never seen a kid do that before in Singapore, in such surroundings, and so I was accordingly charmed. Also, he was incredibly cute and big-eyed and chubby-cheeked and he peeped at us from his porch and ducked down when Gwen tried to take a picture of him. In the end she photographed him popping up to receive an orange from his Chinese neighbour. He was so cuuuuuuuute I feel like cuddling him to sleep.


A makeshift bridge of planks!


Alfresco dining, kampong style.


The flowers were brilliantly coloured.


The prettiest house I saw in the village, half-obscured by flowers.

It was incredibly hot yesterday and I was so exhausted and dehydrated when I got back home, and I don't think I'd go back there again (it was mosquito paradise and I am prime mosquito food D:) but I'm glad I got to go there once before they raze it down and it's gone forever.

Comments

[stellazeee.livejournal.com]

I love that drama. Favourite japanese drama of all time. A weird choice, probably. I've never heard that song on it's own but I'm in love. *~* It represents so much about what that drama means to me.

That doesn't really look like Singapore haha, just like how Bukit Brown Cemetery which looks like some other country altogether. @_@

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

It's really sad to know that soon, this too will be gone :/ But it is really in a good location and I can see why the government would want to develop the land. Still, sometimes it makes you wonder, do we really need this extra bit of development? Why can't we leave it as it is? After all, it's not abandoned. There are people living there.

I enjoyed Haikei a lot (also, I was part of the subbing team XD). I don't think it's a weird choice. My favourite jdrama of all time is Bara no nai Hanaya, and it's another quiet, slice-of-life type of drama.

[htenywg.livejournal.com]

oh gosh i hope you're feeling better. i think i got a bit too dehydrated too, my body's acting all funny now.

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

I was better once I got home and chugged down a huge glass of iced water! The sun was really horrible, don't play play :(

[featherie.livejournal.com]

THAT DOG IS ADORABLE sfkslfls

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

There were a lot of big dogs there!

[ky-rin.livejournal.com]

*ROLLS ALL OVER THE PRETTY IN THIS POST*
alskdjalsdj the boy is so cute. and the dog just looks damn sian ._. like 'fml it's too hot to do anything but lie here' kind of sian.

they are razing it down? D:

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

It was so hot DDDDD: I walked all over Paya Lebar trying to find the bus stop with the buses to Gwen's place and I nearly died at the end of it :/

Yeah, there are plans to raze it down and build, idk, HDB or something. I don't understand why since the plot of land isn't very big nor is it in anyone's way, but who understands the government? sigh.

[kawaiitensai.livejournal.com]

Ooh cool photos! I know this is incredibly weird but I have a request. Just the other day one of my uni friends who's on exchange in Beijing right now asked me if I had and could link him to pictures of traditional malay weddings and houses, something of the kampong type to show his colleagues for a presentation or exhibition or something. Do you mind if I link me your photos? Since this entry isn't locked anyway? :D Thanks in advance! :D

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

Use the pictures anyway you want! :)

[kawaiitensai.livejournal.com]

The kampung looks so nice; I hope they manage to preserve it as some national heritage site or something.

And I might as well comment here; I hope you have fun at SS3 in Nanjing and hopefully your trip will go smoothly! :D

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

They're not preserving it, they're going to demolish it in fact :/ it was in the news as Singapore's last surviving village that was going to be razed soon, and that was how I got to know about it :(

I will have fun as long as I manage to really be there for SS3, lol!

[kawaiitensai.livejournal.com]

That is just sad. We seem to have mixed up priorities. Though there might still be hope like Chek Jawa? Idk.

Hopefully I might go for SS3 Singapore! :D If I have enough money by the time they start selling tickets. Since this is the last chance to watch them as a group D:

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

If you can, you really have to go attend at least one SuShow. Suju is just....amazing live. I don't know how to describe it, but I mean, I'm paying nearly $900 to see them again...I think that's description enough, lol >.

[kawaiitensai.livejournal.com]

I will take your word for it then! :D and your photos/fancams that will come. :D

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

My camera is rather awful at close-up photos though :( so I'll most likely take fancams instead. Fancams are more fun anyway!

[kawaiitensai.livejournal.com]

yay fancams! :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/amaelamin_/]

wah that's really pretty! are they going to demolish it?

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

Yeah, apparently they are :(

[http://users.livejournal.com/amaelamin_/]

to make way for more flats right. hai.

[girlearthless.livejournal.com]

Mmm *_* There is something about how she sings - there is soul, a person there, I can't quite put my finger on it.

Gorgeous photos! So green and delicious~

[catskilt.livejournal.com]

Yes, something about it...I couldn't think of how to describe it, too. A soul there. A person singing straight into your heart. It goes beyond talent.